Canadian Immigrant and RBC launch popular vote to uncover Canada's top inspirational immigrants

Canadians can now cast their vote for the Top 25 Canadian immigrants of 2010

TORONTO, February 17, 2010 Canadian Immigrant
magazine, in partnership with RBC, has kicked off the voting
for the second annual Top 25 Canadian Immigrants awards.

Canadians can go online at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25
until April 16, 2010, to cast their vote for their favorite
candidate among the 75 finalists, who represent diverse ethnic
communities and cultures across Canada.

All voters are automatically entered to win one of two $500
Visa gift cards issued by RBC. Full contest rules are available
at CanadianImmigrant.ca.

More than 10,000 Canadians voted in last year's inaugural
awards program. Among the winners were Governor General Michaëlle
Jean and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta. The program,
which is also supported by Rogers Wireless, serves to uncover
and celebrate the inspiring stories and remarkable achievements
of Canadian immigrants from all walks of life who strive to
make this country a better place.

"We want to shine a spotlight on those unsung heroes
who have quietly helped build Canada," said Nick Noorani,
founder and publisher of Canadian Immigrant. "We want
the Top 25 winners' stories to inspire other immigrants to
make their dreams a reality, while at the same time make Canada
a country we can all be proud of."

The awards program was launched in November 2009 with a call-for-nominations
phase that garnered hundreds of submissions over a three-month
period.

"These awards are a great opportunity for the community
to recognize all new Canadians who have contributed greatly
to this country's success," said Camon Mak, director
of RBC Multicultural Markets. "We encourage Canadians
to go online and vote for their top Canadian immigrant."

The Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2010 will be announced
in May. They will receive a commemorative plaque and a $500
donation from RBC toward a registered Canadian charity of
their choice.

About Canadian Immigrant Magazine and canadianimmigrant.ca
Attracting more than 275,000 readers each month, Canadian
Immigrant Magazine helps new Canadians build a successful
life and home during their first years in Canada. Its mandate
is to inform, educate and motivate by providing hands-on,
easy-to-access content for newcomers looking for information,
from careers, education and settling in to culture, money
and business. The monthly print publication is distributed
in Toronto and Vancouver.

Our website, canadianimmigrant.ca
offers tools and resources that help newcomers across Canada.
Canadian Immigrant is a division of Star Media Group, which
is broadly based with interests in print, digital and broadcast
media, led by its flagship property, the Toronto Star, Canada's
largest newspaper, which is read in print and online (thestar.com)
by 2.8 million readers every week.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries
operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada's largest
bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, one
of North America's leading diversified financial services
companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured
by market capitalization. We provide personal and commercial
banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate
and investment banking and transaction processing services
on a global basis. We employ approximately 80,000 full- and
part-time employees who serve more than 18 million personal,
business, public sector and institutional clients through
offices in Canada, the U.S. and 53 other countries. For more
information, please visit rbc.com.